Dr Francisco Gerardo Sauceda Mireles- plastics in Monterrey

I never thought about it. I am going with the assumption that all will go as planned and this won't be required. A risk I am willinfg to take and averages bear this as no one has had to have extra hospital coverage while there-of all the people that have been done that are on his group. I do have company travel insurance so will check their policy but even if they don't cover I will still go.  Only read one person who came to during op and was immediately put back to sleep= she wrote that she said she was in pain- she does not remember any pain- Dr S said that she was not in pain as the montors wud have showed distress and did not. Again as she is the only one out of all the others I like my chances that I will remain asleep thruout the whole procedure. For me I can't afford all that I want to have done here in Canada.  But if I did not feel that Dr S was a great surgeon I wudnot be getting plastics done at all. Another issue with going out of country is having a local physician willing to remove stitches,tubes, and provide after care- my doc is totally supportive.
Karen

Wish you all the best and of course will look forward to reading what your experience is like. I will continue researching extra travel and health insurance, I never leave Canada without it..Someone else in Ottawa has PM'd me and wants a surgery buddy end of winter so i will be looking into it.

 I should touch base with you... I might be ready to join you and have my arms done. We'll have to see how my finances bounce back after I pay off my first round of plastics in 2 wks but my arms are just getting "wing"-ier and I can take it through the winter as I'll be covered up but for next summer? Ugh.... so PM me and maybe I can join the 2 of you for a late winter holiday in Mexico.

Are you doing breasts in two weeks too?  Just thinking if you're not, and you combine that with arms, the costs drop.

Bonnie
always trying to save a penny.

 Yep - doing the extended TT and mastopexy in 2 weeks (eek - 2 weeks today?!).  Definitely will need arms done - am 95% sure at this point.

Do you have your compression garments yet? I'm assuming you've already ordered your stage 1?  I do have two sets of them if you need them to use.  I've offered them to some others, but you'll only need them for two weeks until you go to stage 2.

Bonnie

 I get a set when I come out of surgery. Otherwise I have nothing. I have NO idea what to get. If you had an extra, I'd be interested in borrowing. We NEED to have a coffee night this week or next (although I know my evenings are a little busier with 2 Open Houses next week... wonder if I'll be seeing you at one? ;) )

Can we do next week?  I can't drive yet.   What about Monday or Tuesday?  Jim is off, so if I can't drive he'll have to come along.   I can bring both of them, and if you can use them great, if not, just pass them back for the next person.  

Bonnie

I, like Karen, researched him enough that I knew he was a good surgeon and felt that I would be fine. My only issue was my heart rate, and it did dip down to 24 during surgery, but my normal heart rate is in the '30's, so no big deal. He had copies of my ekgs for the last four years, holter monitor, and nuclear scan, he was prepared and knew, it was just slow. No problems. He actually has a low heart rate too. There is a hospital across the road from the clinic, if there are issues, he will stabilize you, then move you should there be an issue. You can find most of the locations on google maps. I did buy travel insurance, to cover accidents, but they will not cover medical travel insurance, from what I understand. His record is very very good with very little complications, so I felt it was the best deal for me. That is a personal decision everyone needs to make.
As far as not remembering surgery, I didn't. In fact, after I went into the room to change and put my belongings in a locker, I changed, and they gave me a little pill. I cannot tell you what happened after that. I don't know. I know they washed me with iodine, because I saw it all over my legs when I showered the next day, but can't remember. Other patients met his wife, talked to her a bit, remember the washing front and back, remember the iv being put in, but I don't. The only thing I remember is lifting my butt off the table to put my compression garments on. Now they likely didn't tell me that, as they were Spanish, but I'm sure if someone was trying to put underwear on me, I'd try to lift my butt off the table lol. Next I remember waking up in my room. No memory of the surgery at all.
As you might know, they do operate on a slower schedule down there. Dr. S picked me up at 7:30 in the morning, and took me to the clinic. I filled in some paperwork for contact information for my husband so he could be contacted. I went and changed so likely about 8:30 I was in surgery. My husband was concerned and Dr. S called him back about 10 p.m., telling him he was almost done. At 11 p.m. my husband got a call saying all was well from Dr. S, and spoke briefly to me. But breakfasts are late, lunches are late, and suppers are even later. so finishing up my surgery at 11 pm. is normal down there.
You really need to research your surgeon, no matter what surgeon you have. I felt by talking to other patients on the forum, reading from day one his discussion board, talking to patients in real time, that I felt safe enough to see him for my surgery. I also felt better knowing that for the first two weeks I would have him and Patty, the nurse, be there every day to help me. Showering and bandaging after 13 hours of surgery can be .. interesting lol. He also has worked with enough bariatric patients that I knew he knew how to handle my own skin after losing over 200lbs. Stretch marks galore I say, not so much anymore as much was cut off.
I feel he is a caring man, who wants the to do the best by the patient. I have heard stories of him say completing a breast lift, then taking it apart as he didn't like it. Dedication I say. He has shown that to me. Just as he changed his mind the night before as to what type of tummy tuck I would have as he wanted to do the best job for me. I still keep in contact with him, as I still have a drain that 'likes' me too much :(... but I know it's better to have one, than not.
I think for someone that wants care, expertise, and doesn't have the money nor the time to wait through several surgeries here in Canada, this is an option. It worked for me. I am very pleased at the reflection in the mirror and even though the last week has been harder for me, I would do it again in a heart beat.

Bonnie

Thanks Bonnie, this has turned out a popular post as more than 100 peeps have been reading along....